THE MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY 



(Mimidae) 



BY A. A. ALLEN 



Assistant Professor of Ornithology, Cornell University 



m 



HAT the nightingale is to Europe, the niocking- 

 l)ird is to our southern states. There is this 

 (Hfference, however, that the nightingale has but 

 one beautiful song, while the mockingbird en- 

 riches his repertoire with the notes of many other birds. 

 In fact, there is a record of one mockingbird which imi- 

 tated 32 different species during the course of ten min- 

 utes' continuous singing. All individuals are not good 

 mockers, however, and perhaps the majority confine 

 themselves to their own brilliant notes. And brilliant 

 their songs are, for the mockingbirds have marvelous 

 technique and, while some people complain of their lack 

 of feeling, others declare that they excel even tiie night- 

 ingale and the American thrushes in their emotional out- 

 bursts. They do not seek the deep forest and perhaps 

 for this reason their music is less appreciated. "Btxt," 

 says Dr. Frank 'SI. Chajmian, "listen to him when the 

 world is hushed, when the air is heavy with the rich 

 fragrance of orange blossoms and the dewy leaves 

 glisten in the moonlight, and if his song does not thrill 

 you then, confess yourself deaf to Nature's voices." 



Often it is the fence post in the garden, the ridgepole 

 of the house or the top of the chimney that the l)ird selects 

 for his songs and often he seems not to leave these spots 



for days at a time, pouring forth one continuous burst 

 of music from dawn until dark and from dark again 

 until dawn. At times he seems carried away by his 

 song and springs into the air with quivering wings and 

 tremljling throat only to alight again with renewed en- 

 thusiasm. In fact, his wings seem at all times to feel 

 the harmony and try to find some way of expressing it. 



This is at the height of the courting season when no 

 other mockingbird dare trespass upon his aomam or 

 venture to glance at the mate that he is defending, with- 

 out inviting a combat. For his inspiration for singing is 

 equalled by his ardor for fighting whenever another bird 

 appears. Nor does he confine his pugnacity to others of 

 the same species. Any enemy, real or supposed, cat, 

 dog, hawk, owl, or man, has to suflfer equally, receive 

 his scolds, his bufi^eting and even the sharp pecks from 

 his bill, if it venture too close to the nest. Mockingbirds 

 are the wardens of the bird community and the presence 

 of an enemy is announced from one bird to another more 

 rai)idly than the enemy can travel until the whole neigh- 

 liorhood is alarmed. 



There is but one species of mockingbird found in the 

 United States, but the bird of the West is sufficiently 



Photograph by G. A. Bailey 



READY FOR A FIGHT 



With such weapons as it has, the brown thrasher is always ready to defend 



its nest against man or any other enemy. 



A IIO.ME A.MOXG THE GRAPE VIXES 



Where there are thickets or tangles of vines, the catbird is always found. 



Where these disappear, the catbird goes with them. 



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